Picture hanger



Alg- 7, 1956 c. Y. SUTTON ETAL 2,757,890

PICTURE HANGER Filed Oct. 26, 1953 E i i l Cree/ Sutton Paul B. .Srong Ric/rs Sfrong IN VENT OR ATTORNEY DU...aired` StatesV Patent ,QQ

This invention relates to picture hangers and ifv has .-particularreference toa picture hanger composed-Ofcomplementary parts attachable to ay wallland toa picture to be :hun g thereon.

-The principal 4object of the invention is to eliminate 'the `need for a suspension Wire or cord'thereby conservingthe.

time ordinarily consumed in .'predeterrnining locating points for eye-screws on a picture frame, attachingl the eyei. screws, measuring andv applying the wire or cord to the A eye-screws landthe calculations-necessary to precisely locate'the suspension means on a wall.

i Another.Y object of the-invention is to provide a picture hanger consisting of a wall bracket yin the form of anelonrgate wall plate uhaving adjacentv each end a plurality of :rows of outwardly andupwardly extendinghooksparallel .withthe ends of the plate and provided with a rib. struckoutwardlyfrom the'plate midway of its ends and parallelingsaid rows of hooks. Complementingthe wall bracket isfaframe plate of similar dimensionshaving adjacent its 1 upper edge sharpened.. prongs t adapted `to be. pressed` .into

the top rear surface of the picture frameandfurltherhaving an outwardly and downwardly turned lower edge selectively. engageable ywith. correspondinghooks-of the rows of hooks on the wall plate to suspend the picture frame for vertical' and'horizontal' adjustmentfthere being also @iprovidedfon the frame plate. asprojection withi a'row of- `coriugations cooperating with therib 'of thewally plate to *.holdthe frame in adjusted positions.

`Otherfobjects will appear as.-thedescriptio11 proceeds, .-twhen considered with the attached.drawingpwherein;

rFigure. 1rv is a perspective view of 'the complementary wall and frame plates in separated relationship,Y viewing the same from the rear.

PFigure `2=is a rear elevationalviewrof theiplatesiin cooperative relationship.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown supporting a picture on a wall, the picture and wall being fragmentarily shown in dotted lines, and

Figure 5 is a View showing the complementary plates connected together as a package for marketing.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral denotes generally the wall plate, that is, the plate adapted to be aliixed to a wall to support the plate generally indicated by reference numeral 10a, herein referred to from time to time as the frame plate. The plate 10 is stamped from sheet metal, plastic or any other suitable material and is formed with two or more rows of outwardly and upwardly directed hooks 11, arranged in rows parallel with the ends of the plate. At the top of the plate 10 is formed an outwardly and downwardly directed flange 12 which was struck from a sheet of material producing succeeding plates, hence the recess 13 in the lower edge of the plate of the same shape as the ange 12. Midway between the rows of hooks 11 is a parallel rib 14 to which further reference will be made presently.

Referring now to the frame plate 10a; a. downwardly ICC ,L12 arid inwadlyfdirectedilange 15 is formed' by bending inwardly the lower edge of theplate. In' stamping the plate "laa'projectidn`16,on the loweredge'ofithe iange 15 at `itslr'nidse'cition;is"cut outof the' blank of V'theLneXt succeed- .5 :'in'gplategll'enc'e"therecess 17 irithe top offthe'plate 10a `of`ithe` same: dimensions as theproje'ctienv 16. The projection' 16 is formdwitlra s'e'ries of corrugations 18which, .as will become apparent presently,cooperate'with'the" rib "f14 f plate 10 to' resist"displacementof' the' picture frame 10 "from adjusted horizontal positions.

Adjacenteaclruppercorner fthe'v plate 10ais a prong 19"stru'ck out' 'of thematerial 'of "the lplate. 'These vprongs are directed opposite 'thefflange 15 .along the 'lower'v edge oflhe. plate 10a and are adapted' to.`be"pressedinto the wood'rof' thel top portion of ai pictureframe 20. (Figure 4), midway of itsfsides,."thus to securethe* frame plate 10alto' the" frame." 'Ifithe'frame is' quite'heavy; additional securingrneansis provided intheform'of holes'21 adjacent vthe prong"y 1'9 through which nailsmaybe driven into 20the. picture `frame'. Inthemidsection of the plate 10ais a transverser row of proje'ctionsi22 which cooperate with lthe' lip of "the flange' 12 on'thenpper edge of plate 10 to stab'ilize vthe picture hungfromthe' plate 10, in a 'manner to be presently explained.

.25 "The plate 10 is secured to a'wll 23' (Figure-4) bY'dfV' ling-a nil`24'throu'gh an .aperture 25 in the'ange 12 which V,is in angular alignment withn an apertureiZ in the'plate '10 af the top of its ribf 14..Thehead ofthe nailA 24 is .driven down against'theangelZ and the spring-back of the latteholds 'the'.plate: 10Lri'nly` against the'wallj The plateiloa is secured `to thel picturelt'rame 20, as explained, bytorcing fthe, prongs. 10 int`o"`the frame from" the back. "The picture is now 'ready'td besuspended fromzthe hanger or wallplate l0. f In hanging the.pictureftheange 15 of the'frame plate 10'ais placed behidl'selected ho'oks 11"of"pla'te 10`which are inthe same plane, as exemplified in Figure'Z. 'fSince fthe hooks`11- of one roware "staggered 'in relation tothe hobksof a companion row, lthe! degrees ofV vertical adjust- 40 mehtfaI picture are "doubled "When fthe plate 10a is psitioned as Vdescribed lon', plate 10,i it"isobvious^that -platel10a and V4consequently thefpicture -supported thereby, may' bemov'd leftv or right," limited ohlyby right angular 'ilanges2'7i formed; on each..erid of thecorrugatedprojec'tin 16.- f plate 10a'.l ""I'hese'anges are'brought" up vagainst one onthe-the'r'fthe hooksj 11 asithe plate =10a is moved! sidewise, 'thus".limiting .such' movement. "When 'the`desired` hmizonfal.V adjustment 'is 'attainedfthe ribi 14 of plate 10 lwill lie in a'groove dendbycorru'gations in the projection 16, thus resisting displacement of the plate 10a from adjusted position.

When the picture is suspended in the posit-ion shown in Figure 4, in which plates 10 and 10a are in the relationship illustrated in Figure 2, the ange 12 of plate 10 extends between projections 22 on plate 10a, thereby preventing release of ilange 15 of plate 10a should the picture be swung from side to side as by the wind or by accidental contact of an object therewith.

It will be noted in the several views that the flange 12 of plate 10 is equal in length to the length of the recess 17 in the top of plate 10a, also, that the upper edge of plate 10a is curved slightly outward at 28 on each side of the recess 17. The purpose of this has no bearing on the function of the device in hanging pictures but is advantageous in joining the plates together in pairs for marketing, as illustrated in Figure 5, so that the plates will not become separated until ready for use. To so connect the plates, they are disposed so that the ange 15 of plate 10a will rest in the smaller hooks 29..in the plate 10 below the lowest of the hooks 11 nearest the ends of the recess 13 in plate 10. The ange 12 of plate 10 is passed throughthe recess 17 of plate 10a and the latter plate is shifted longitudinally, as shown in Figure 5 so that it will be secured between the overhanging ange 12 of plate 10 and the small hooks 29 near the bottom thereof. This arrangement holds the plates together until the plate a is moved to align its recess 17 with the flange 12 of plate 10.

It is evident from the foregoing that a picture may be hung in a more stabilized manner than hitherto possible by the conventional cord or wire and more quickly. Moreover, the wire or cord does not permit vertical and horizontal adjustments which are especially advantageous in hanging group pictures.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modication and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a picture hanger, a pair of complementary plates, one of said plates being attachable to a wall and the other of said plates being attachable to the rear surface of a picture frame, a series of vertical rows of outwardly and upwardly directed hooks on each side of the midsection of the iirst of said plates, an angular flange on the top edge of said irst plate, an angular flange on the lower edge of the other of said plates receivable selectively by corresponding opposed hooks on said iirst plate to support said other plate for horizontal and vertical adjustment, prongs extending from the other of said plates for attachment thereof to said picture frame, and means carried by said other of plates engageable with the ange of said first plate to preclude upward displacement of said other plate from the hooks of said rst plate,

2. The structure of claim 1, a rib formed on said rst plate between and parallel with said rows of hooks and a projection on the lower edge of the angular ilange of said other plate having corrugations between which said rib is selectively received to preclude lateral displacement of said other plate with respect to said rst plate.

3. In a picture hanger, a wall plate and a frame plate, a plurality of staggered rows of hooks adjacent each end of said wall plate, an angular ange on the bottom edge of said frame plate selectively receivable by the hooks on said wall plate for horizontal and vertical adjustment of said frame plate with respect to said wall plate, an integral corrugated projection depending from the lower edge of said frame plate and a rib formed at the midsection of said wall plate receivable selectively between the corrugations of said frame plate to hold said frame plate against horizontal displacement in relation to said wall plate means for attaching said wall plate to a wall and means for attaching said frame plate to the rear surface of a picture frame to support the latter.

4. In a picture frame hanger, a wall plate having an outwardly and downwardly turned ange on its upper edge and a vertical rib formed in its midsection, a plurality of rows of relatively staggered hooks protruding from said wall plate on opposite sides of said rib, a frame plate having means for its attachment to the rear surface of a picture frame, an angular flange on the bottom edge of said frame plate adapted for disposal behind selected hooks in opposite rows of hooks on said wall plate to suspend said frame plate and picture frame for horizontal and vertical adjustment from said wall plate a series of vertically spaced projections on said frame plate midway between its ends between which the downwardly turned ange of said wall plate is selectively engaged to resist upward displacement of said frame plate with respect tot said wall plate and means carried jointly by said wall platel and said frame plate cooperatively holding said frame plate in horizontally adjusted positions in relation to said wall plateand means for attaching said wall plate to a wall.

5, In a picture hanger, a Wall plate having adjacent each end a plurality of staggered rows of outwardly and upwardly directed hooks, an elongate transverse rib on said plate at its midsection and parallel with said rows of hooks, an outwardly and downwardly directed flange integral with the top edge of said wall plate, a frame plate having a prong projecting therefrom adjacent each end adapted to penetrate the frame of a picture, a trans verse row of outwardly and upwardly directed projections in the midsection of said frame plate for selective engagement by the ilange of said wall plate, an angular ange coextensive with the bottom edge of said frame plate receivable selectively by corresponding hooks on said wall plate to preclude rocking displacement of said frame plate on said wall plate, a projection formed on and depending from said angular flange at its midsection having corrugations defining parallel grooves selectively receiving the rib of said wall plate to resist lateral displacement of said frame plate and means for securing said wall plate to a wall.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 459,844 Thomas Sept. 22, 1891 1,914,951 Kiessling .Tune 20, 1933 2,299,443 Walmsley Oct. 20, 1942 2,463,110 Johnson Mar. 1, 1948 2,495,477 Raitt Jan. 24, 1950 2,532,162 Goss Nov. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 638,975 Germany Nov. 26, 1936 

